Ypres Tower

TN31 7HH

Ypres Tower is one of those classically shaped castles you draw as a kid – square with rounded turrets at each corner. It sits on a raised site at the edge of town peering nervously out to sea, as befits its status as watch tower for one of the original Cinque Ports. There are exhibits inside – replica weapons, maps and models – but the main attraction is the building: first fortified by Edward III in the 14th century, it’s been keeping a wary eye out for any invading Frenchmen ever since and is the second oldest building in Rye open to the public. The Tower has been well maintained to this day and as you wander through, climbing up the winding and deliberately uneven stairs, you get a good feel for how the place once looked back in its prime.